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TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) – There was a rush in Trenton yesterday to make sure no New Jersey state official gets a pay raise anytime soon by, in effect, putting the panel that approves them out of business.

Seven people are appointed every four years to what’s called the Public Officers Salary Review Commission. That panel sets the compensation for everyone from the Governor and his cabinet, to legislators, judges and county prosecutors. Governor Chris Christie said he wouldn’t fill his two slots on the panel followed by Republican leaders in the Assembly and Senate.

Within minutes, their Democratic counterparts withdrew their nominees, along with the appointment from the state Supreme Court.

“If you look around the country and you look at compensation to members of state legislatures, we already provide generous compensation for our legislators,” Assembly speaker Sheila Oliver said.

So she thinks it inappropriate to even consider pay hikes for leaders while the rest of the state is cutting back. The panel comes up for appointment again in 2015.